Béatrice Coron's Papercuts.

When I'm on the subway I am usually reading. Or watching people. Or listening to 20 year-olds who think they are the next Chris Brown belt out song lyrics with their headphones on for the ENTIRETY of my trip to work this morning. Just an example. Anyhow, another thing that I do is look at the art and the ads. Arts for Transit is a division through the Metropolitan Transit Authority that promotes local visual and performing artists in the subway and rail system.

One of my favorite series are the horizontal posters that they have in the subway cars. About once a year, I notice a new one and after checking out their website, I see they have a new one every year featuring a different artist. The one I saw most recently was a papercut print of Béatrice Coron which was pretty spectacular (first image shown above). This of course led me to some Googling and checking out the rest of her papercut work. All so intricate and with great contrast, here are a few samples above from this French-born artist who has been living in NYC for over 25 years.

The Breslin.

I know this restaurant opened in the fall, but I am just starting to see visuals of it; specifically in Sam Sifton's review of it in the NY Times yesterday. The Breslin (part of the Ace Hotel here in NYC) had the good luck of being designed by talented duo Roman and Williams. Just a photo of the front of the place with it's typography on its windows made me swoon; nevermind the bright pops of red in their chairs combined with their rustic and wooden delicious all over the place. It might be one of those places I would walk into and say, "Hey, I could live here".

Photos from Joonbug and NY Times.

2 1/2 Hours in the Air...

No, I'm not going on a plane. Not for me. My New Year's Eve will be spent in a cute dress in a warm cozy Italian restaurant here in Brooklyn. I will be spending the shortest amount of time outside possible. Unlike the location of these ads above. One night a few weeks ago I spent almost an hour staring at these ads in the 59th Street subway station. I know, I agree, that's about 45 minutes too long to be underground. I got to check out each one that was lined up against the wall downstairs while waiting for the 4/5 downtown train. Considering I was beyond irate about waiting for the train, the ads kept me entertained. I have never been to St. Petersburg or Clearwater and I still don't think I have any desire to go (sorry, travel bureau of St. Petes/Clearwater). I did think the ads were pretty fantastic though. It's funny because they really did pick the best of the worst parts of NYC. Sometimes New Yorkers get stuck looking at terrible ads that were supposed to have been "made for them". Usually they end up poking fun at the subway crowd. There is so much more to poke fun of. And this ad agency did a fantastic job.

Flatbush Farm & Bar(n).

Oh Brooklyn, how I love thee. I feel like I wax poetic way too much about a borough that I haven't even lived in for two years yet. I apologize. I know some might be completely over hearing about it, but I am not. I love the feel that all of the neighborhoods have - they don't blend together as much as the ones in Manhattan can seem to do. There is really a distinct aura in each. I feel so fortunate to have REALLY explored almost all of Brooklyn thanks to Matt who was raised in the BK. We love checking out new places not just in our own neighborhood. It is definitely always an adventure and we wouldn't have it any other way. Example A: we once spent almost an hour driving around Crown Heights looking for jerk chicken at a place that had their grill OUTSIDE of their shop. I kid you not. Matt would not stop unless he saw smoke and the smell of grilling spicy poultry from the street.

Speaking of being in our neighborhood, we have a small list of "places to try" and this is one of them. Flatbush Farm. I love the signage and have heard their brunch is pretty spectacular. Add that to the fact they go local and organic with almost all of their offerings and what's not to love? They have this wonderful "new rustic" (I just coined that myself) quality to their website as well as their interior it seems from their photos. A few samples above.

Whew!

These trees might look pretty, but watch for their droppings... (image from here)

Well dear readers (yes Mom, that includes you), I must apologize for this blog a-lackin' in material the last few weeks. I think since coming back from the glorious and refreshing vacation we had in Costa Rica, that I hit a wall with the blog and feel like I am scrounging around for design, ideas, things to post about. I mean I posted about Brussels Sprouts at the beginning of the week for goodness sake! Brussels Sprouts!

Dear readers, I am sorry. I have hit a wall as hard as I almost hit the pavement this morning walking to the subway. Yes, I was carefully trying to NOT step on those nasty smelling gingko biloba pods that are littered on the avenue I walk to get to the train in the morning (that article that I just linked isn't my neighborhood but makes me feel better that all of Brooklyn must share this). The irony being that I tried so hard not to step on them with just a tip of the toe of my beautiful brown boots from Spain that I almost ended up with my entire body/coat/bag/newspaper covered in them. Ughhhh. I can't even fathom that demise. Long story short I slipped, but caught myself before taking a nose dive into the guts of the biloba pods. Though entirely graceless, I managed to eke by with just a dab of nastiness on my boot toe.

Anyhow, I digress. Perhaps after the weekend I will know where I am going with this blog. It's been around for about 2 years and I can say that my greatest posts were the ones I put the most of my love into were the series from Spain. If I could find a way to bring back personal photography combined with real writing, I think that might be where this blog is going, but don't hold me to it.

Either way, thanks for bearing with me as I leave you SANS posts more days than with...

Design USA.

Yesterday was a pleasant and most inspiring afternoon at work as the creative team left for a field trip. Every now and then, you have to let the designers out! We went to the Cooper Hewitt Design Musuem for the newest exhibit, Design USA. Let me tell you, it was just what every creative needs in their life – especially on a dreary and rainy day like we are having today in NYC. Categories such as the ones above were where designers of all mediums (communication, product, innovation, user-experience, architecture) fell into place to make for a fun walk-through of GREAT DESIGN. Plus, there were iPod touches to be used as audio guides with extra pictures from the winners of each category as well as some interviews and video. Along the way you could leave comments which were then launched on their website and on 6 large Apple monitors at the end of the exhibit. I highly recommend checking it out (from now until mid-April).

White Collar + Thomas Pink.

If I were a boy I would be so be at Rockefeller Center right now (just a few blocks from my office, how convenient!) waiting in (a very long, or so I hear from a male coworker) line to get a free custom-made shirt from the most handsome shirt-maker, Thomas Pink. Some marketing team made a great pitch and so in conjunction with the start of the new show on USA called White Collar, you can get your OWN white collar (or blue or pink or striped or checked or...well, you get it). For free! A shirt that would most likely cost you $400 is now yours for the taking. If you have the time to stand in line, that is. Either way, a memorable and clever idea.

First photo above from TimeOut NY

Spacecraft.

Welcome earthlings to a new place called Spacecraft. Noooo! Not THAT kind of spacecraft but literally a space where you can MAKE crafts. What a great concept for all of those DIYers east of Manhattan who have little apartments and lots of ideas. Discovered this today via the Martha Stewart Crafts Dept. blog and am pretty excited to check it out the next time I am in Williamsburg. Perhaps a Michaels Crafts store is on its way to Brooklyn, even if it was at the end of the Q train?
photos from MS Crafts Dept

Carnival...on Labor Day...in Brooklyn?!

Being Labor Day yesterday, the day was ours to do with it whatever we wanted. From driving to the beach on Saturday, Matt and I had seen the police barriers getting set up at the side of one of the main roads in Brooklyn as well as various Caribbean flags being sold out the back doors of various vans. A little Googling told us that what we saw was the preparations of the 42nd walking/dancing/running of the West Indian Day Parade. Being it's the one time of year where Matt can get one of his favorites, jerk chicken, just a few blocks from our apartment we were off to the parade in the early afternoon. He mildly prepared me for what I would be seeing and it did not disappoint. The bright and bold colors of the many flags of the West Indies plus the costumes being worn by parade marchers/dancers was quite amazing as well as the smells and sights of all of the food vendors (don't fret, we ate the much-anticipated jerk chicken). I was so glad I had brought my camera! And of the many photos taken, I put some together for you, dear readers, above. Enjoy and I highly recommend taking a trip out to Brooklyn for it next year. This year had an attendance of almost 3 million spectators and marchers combined.

Go MAD.

No, no, no. I am not suggesting that you go angry but am in fact talking about the MAD, aka Museum of Art & Design. Yesterday's warm weather prompted a midday creative field trip for our group over to the less-than-a-year-old museum in Columbus Circle here in NYC. The building is situation on a funny-shaped block/corner/segment diagonally from Central Park and the Time Warner Center. Not only were there some good exhibits on display BUT I really liked some of the internal structure design of the different floors. One of the current exhibits is The Object Factory: The Art of Industrial Ceramics, some samples shown above. Honestly, I could look at ceramics all day PLUS the some of the walls were painted a most fabulous blue color that I made a mental note to remember next time I paint my bathroom. Not that our bathroom is painted now...perhaps a next design project?!

Everybody Dance Now.

Except you really can't dance now because we all missed the exhibit! Or at least I did. I hate when I forget to check out the National AIGA gallery here in NYC. I used to work within close walking distance so I would never miss a show that I wanted to see. Now? I work in the neighborhood of tourists, The Today Show, and overpriced salads. Anyhow, I just remembered that I hadn't seen an AIGA show in a bit so I checked out their site and was sad to see one that I would have loved to take in: Everybody Dance Now: 20 Years of Dancing in Print. It's not that I have a huge fascination with dancing (though a couple of friends did try and convince me that "So You Think You Can Dance" is some fantastic summertime TV watching) but I really love the amazing angles and negative space and motion that is created with photography of dancers. For example, this season's NYC Ballet posters (designed by legendary Pentagram designer, Paula Scher) were just perfection in my design mind.

Even NY State Senate Needs a Creative!

Christopher Sealey, newly appointed Creative Director of the NY State Senate (photo from NY Magazine)

I love stories about creatives found in unlikely places. It just goes to prove the point that my professors were always making in college – design is everywhere. AND, more importantly, it is NEEDED everywhere! Where is one of the last places you might find a creative director? At the New York State Senate in Albany? Good guess, you're right! They just hired a design pro, Christopher Sealey, to help them brand the Senate through design, photography and multimedia.

Go designers, go!

The Greening of NYC.

Broadway in Times Square now (left) and coming soon (right)

Broadway in Madison Square now (left) and coming soon (right)

This woman is amazing! She is greenifying, de-car-ifying and bike-adding our very loud, very car-filled, very bus exhaust fumed city little by little. She is a strong transportation pioneer! Next time you walk through Times Square things will be VERY different (starting this weekend and supposedly finishing by the fall!)...

Tangled Alphabets.

Tangled Alphabets is the title of a newish exhibit that is going on at the MOMA right now until mid-June and one that I must go see. The poster has caught my eye more than once as I am hurriedly moved up the subway stairs like sheep in the mornings at the oh so crazy midtown subway stop I am oh so fortunate to work near. Well, I am fortunate in the sense that I see this poster right?

Anything having to do with alphabets and hand-written type is sure to catch my eye. So this new exhibit title was an easy sell for me and I went to the website here and learned a bit more about the two artists whose works make up Tangled Alphabets. It is now on my list of "museums I need to go to before this exhibit closes."

Typography Underground.

Okay, so here is one more post before I leave (clearly this cold has gotten to my head). This posting is all about typography down below the street; in the subway system!

On Sunday it was raining cats and dogs all day and Matt was itching to get out of the apartment and do something so we took ourselves and our umbrellas and made our way to downtown Brooklyn for a little field trip – to the New York City Transit Museum. This is actually a place I have wanted to visit (as geeky as that sounds) but just never got around to and to be honest, I had always thought it was in the city, not Brooklyn. Anyhow, we arrived and wouldn't you know, the entrance actually LOOKS like you are going into the subway; as it turns out, the location of the museum used to be a real station. It was an interesting look into the history of the building of the subway in the early 1900s as well as the bridges that connect the boroughs of NYC. There were some fun things to play with and learn also about the history of the actual turnstiles where they had all of them from the very first to the current one used that you could "go through" to see the difference in the weights of the materials used. They had old subway train cars that were actually ON the tracks to walk around in (I loved seeing the old advertisements that lined the cars. For some reason, I thought subway ads were a newer thing of the past couple decades). There were some other interesting things to see and touch and walk through and I recommend adding it to your list of "to dos" next time you need a rainy day activity.

Of course through all of this, I noticed the typography used and the old signage of which there were many samples. Above is just a small selection of those I photographed.